As we reach the depths of winter it’s getting harder to pass up the offer of a carb-loaded lunch, especially when it takes the form of a bagel, so we decided to embrace it. In this new series we scour the city for our favourite doughie delicacy – be it savoury or sweet. First up, The Beigelry.

If you’ve been through Topham Mall recently you may have noticed a very long line that stretches almost its entire length. While we at CityMag are somewhat allergic to line-ups, we promise this one is worth your while.

As the counter of The Beigelry edges closer we narrow down our order to three options – the mysterious New Yorker (which we later discover consists of salt beef, pastrami and mustard), fresh strawberries with maple cream cheese or perhaps quite simply a herb and garlic cream cheese schmear. The choices are challenging. And then there’s the bagel to decide on too – sesame, dill, poppy, cinnamon & raisin, everything.

We get a little flustered as the friendly staff member asks for our order so we opt for the same bagel as the person before us – a sesame New Yorker with extra pickles and a little lettuce (because green is part of a balanced diet).

After snacking on a few pretzels, which come complimentary with each bagel, we are well and truly ready to dig in. The bagel itself is crisp and fresh but slightly chewy – like any good bagel should be. And the fillings combine perfectly. We love the additional flavour the sesame seeds contribute, and the slight shine to the bagel’s surface.

If there’s one thing we can suggest it’s that simple is best – don’t overcrowd the bagel with unnecessary salad ingredients. And a hot tip, never ditch the cream cheese. To challenge you with yet another option, The Beigelry also offer a range of cream cheese flavours including jalapeño and garlic and herb.

We leave feeling satisfied by the whole experience. Even the line up allowed us more time to contemplate the options. Our only concern is, once back in the office, we begin thinking about our next Beigelry visit.

Will it be the dill with smoked salmon? Or maybe a toasted blueberry bagel with thick Nutella spread?

Thankfully, there’s always tomorrow.